Building a Healthy Immune System - what is the immune system and how does it work?`
If you’d like an easy to digest lesson in physiology, with relevant references to how we can influence or impact our body’s natural mechanics, here’s Building a Healthy Immune System: Part 1 - what is the immune system and how does it work?
Ginger Root: tasty, versatile, accessible medicine
Ginger root is one of my favourite medicinal herbs because it’s so tasty, easy to find (just about any green grocer or grocery store has it), and versatile! I grew up knowing ginger as a flavour for a range of delicious dishes, as well as a candy. Sugar-coated candied ginger was a sweet and spicy treat! Turns out, ginger is also great for making you sweat (it’s a diaphoretic) which is great for helping fend off a cold or flu.
The link between self-care, self-love and community resilience
Self-care is crucial not only to our own survival, but the survival of our families, our communities, and society at large. We need to carve out space to be with ourselves, to be self-aware, self-reflective, and self-nourishing. In short, we need to give ourselves love. Love for ourselves gives us the ability to meaningfully share space with others, to care for those in need, and to meet the challenges of each day with resilience. It will allow us to learn, grow and thrive.
A New Year, Renewed Challenges
A New Year can bring a new outlook, new commitments to self-improvement, and new hope for what’s to come. As we begin 2021, there are glimmers of hope on the horizon yet uncertainties persist.As a Naturopathic Doctor who is accustomed to emphasizing the importance of self-care and community connection, I struggle to find the avenues for fulfilling these needs under current circumstances. It really isn’t easy. Yet I have to find a way to do this for myself, so that I can continue to support my patients, and hopefully lead by example.